Man Jailed For Allegedly Stealing From Martinez Christmas Charity

MARTINEZ (CBS SF) — A man arrested earlier this year for allegedly stealing $60,000 worth of property from a Martinez Christmas charity is back in jail on suspicion of another theft from the same organization’s storage unit, a sheriff’s spokesman said.

Around 8 p.m. Wednesday, volunteers from the charity Christmas for Everyone reported that about $20,000 in holiday decorations had been stolen from a storage unit in the 1800 block of Shell Ave. in unincorporated Martinez, Contra Costa County sheriff’s spokesman Jimmy Lee said.

A crime scene technician worked on the scene, and deputies on Thursday conducted a probation search at the Martinez home of Jason Crites, who was arrested on suspicion of burglary and felony vandalism in March for allegedly burglarizing a warehouse used by the charity, according to sheriff’s officials.

Deputies found several boxes of items identified as belonging to Christmas for Everyone and returned the property to the charity.

Crites was again arrested on suspicion of possession of stolen property, taken to county jail and held on $20,000 bail.

Lee said more charges in the case are expected.

After Crites’ arrest in February, much of the stolen property was returned to the charity and he was released from county jail on bail.

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